On 9 Mar 2011 at 2:46, gen listlass wrote: > > I have come across lots of instances in Christ Church, Tynemouth > > where the Parish Register & the Bishops Transcripts do not agree > > with each other. > > > > Margaret Hall > > Wallsend > > www.margaret-hall-genealogy.com > This is interesting Margaret. It's something I hadn't realised! > However sometimes the Bishops Transcripts are the only information > left available if the parish registers are lost or missing. Gen in NBL > UK > I rather thought it was widely known that the parish registers and bishop's transcripts don't always agree with one another - which is why it's always best to search both, if possible. The reasons why there may be discrepancies are obvious: the PRs and the BTs may not have been written at the same time or even by the same person. Many vicars were of a "bolshy" turn of mind and resented anything that involved them in extra work, so they might leave the writing up of the BTs to the last minute and then rush through them, copying out details from the registers and making mistakes. Or they may have had a curate or clerk write them up and if he had difficulty with the vicar's writing - well ! The reason why the BTs sometimes survive for periods where the registers have gone is because while the registers remained in the church (and got lost, burnt, eaten by mice, etc), the BTs had to go to the diocesan office for safe keeping and in most cases this became the county record office, so their survival rate is often greater for some parishes than the registers. -- Roy Stockdill Genealogical researcher, writer & lecturer Newbies' Guide to Genealogy & Family History: www.genuki.org.uk/gs/Newbie.html "There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about." OSCAR WILDE